The Portal
by Lanc
Summary: After the Mallorean, all is fine. Suddenly, everything changes and old friends reappear.
1. Prologue Belgarath

This is my first attempt at a fic. The story is set after the Mallorean.  
  
The world was finally feeling right. I hadn't had to dash all over the place looking after things for the better part of a decade. Garion and Ce'Nedra were doing well over on Riva. Ce'Nedra was pregnant again, and Garion was spending a lot of time looking after Geran and Beldarran, studying and ruling the kingdom in what little time he had left. Velvet's pregnancy had gone well, and I think her son was already in training to be a spy - whenever I go to visit Silk and Velvet he always seems to be watching me. I might just be being paranoid, but with those two for parents it can't hurt to be overly careful. The young child was also seeing far too much of Yarblek, so he will be corrupted sooner or later (although as Pol will no doubt say when she reads this, I'm a fine one to talk about corruption).  
  
Our other friends were also doing well. Sadi had seamlessly resumed his role in Salmissra's court. Zakath and Cyradis were very happy together governing Mallorea (I suspect that it's only a matter of time until there's an heir to the Mallorean Empire). Urgit was busy trying to reform the Murgos (a task with which everyone except possibly Hettar wished him well with), and thanks to Zakath and Eriond he was having a fair degree of success. Hettar actually calmed down and no longer chased after every Murgo, only the ones who have actually done something. I think this probably had more than a little to do with Adara's influence and Cho Hag's decision to get Hettar fully ready to become Chief of the Clan Chiefs of the Algars. In fact, everyone had settled down to a greater or lesser degree. Even Mandorallen and Lelldorin weren't permanently looking for a fight. This might have had a little to do with the fact that Arendia was finally almost peaceful. After Korodullin and Mayaserena persuaded Mandorallen and Lelldorin to deal with the last real trouble makers, there was only minor discontent. In the Vale, things seemed at least as good as everywhere. The twins were of course the same as always (I doubt they'll ever change). Pol and Durnik had their twins to occupy them. The twins were growing well and, of course, I loved them already. Pol occasionally complained that she saw far too much of me, and that I should wash more frequently or I would corrupt those two as well. After a few years of trying, I'd finally managed to convince Durnik that he needed a tower, and he was spending most of his free time building it not far from the wreckage of Belsambar's tower (without cheating, naturally. He refuses to let me help him, knowing that I would cheat and create stone or something if I got half a chance, and nobody will cover for me. Sometimes I despair of my family). As for myself I was as happy as I can ever remember being. Poledra was back in my life, and everything was perfect.  
  
I should have known that it was too good to last. 


	2. Chapter One Belgarath

I clearly remember the moment the world changed once again. Poledra had left so she could be in Riva when Ce'Nedra gave birth. Polgara wanted to go, but she was overruled by her mother. That's one of the things I most like about having my wife back. With her assistance I've finally got some control over my daughter. I was happily sitting in my tower, researching something or other (it's odd, but I've already forgotten what) in order to pass the time until Poledra returned. Suddenly, I felt a great disturbance. It felt very similar to the time Garion played with the weather, but far more extreme. I fell out of my chair in shock. The only thing I could think of was that somebody had played about with the weather and the consequences would likely be disastrous. The only problem was who and where? Garion wouldn't do it - I'd fully impressed the dangers of that upon him. None of the Grolims would either - they were too well taught, even if their training was very limited by my standards. That only left spontaneous sorcerers, but none of them to my knowledge had the necessary ability - they all needed to be angry or otherwise emotionally charged for their abilities to work. Even Beldin when he first arrived in the Vale couldn't have done this, and he was the most powerful spontaneous sorcerer I've ever come across. I was baffled as to who could possibly be responsible, so I put aside whatever I was working on to search through the records of every sorcerer that my brothers or I have encountered. After a few days without luck, I went up to Durnik's tower (what there was of it so far). "How are things going so far, Durnik?" I asked him.  
  
"Fairly well, Belgarath," he responded. "I've managed to get the foundations laid. Soon I can begin to build the walls."  
  
"You know that you could be done a lot quicker if you'd just use your talent once in a while." I told him.  
  
"Belgarath, we're not going through this again. You persuaded me to build this thing, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I won't use a shortcut."  
  
"All right, Durnik," I said resignedly. "That's not why I'm here, though. Did you notice the disturbance four days ago?"  
  
"How could I miss it? I felt queasy for hours afterwards. Also, it took hours to get the twins to sleep. I think they felt it too."  
  
"Very possible. I'm, trying to work out what happened and who was responsible for it. If Beldin were still here, I'd ask him what I'm about to ask you, but he isn't." I felt a pang once again when I thought of Beldin. He'd been in my life for thousands of years, longer even than Poledra, and now he was gone.  
  
"You still miss him, don't you Belgarath. I know Pol does too, and so do the Twins, but it seems to have hit you hardest. You show it less most of the time, but you don't fool me. Do you want to talk about it?" Durnik can be so perceptive sometimes. We've had this conversation dozens of times, and still he notices that I haven't let Beldin go yet. He's also right about the others. We all miss Beldin, but I miss him most. I still rarely talk about him. Unfortunately, much as I would have liked to talk about it again I didn't think then was the right time.  
  
"I'm afraid we don't have time right now Durnik. I'm trying to find out about any sorcerer who could have caused the disturbance. I've already roped the Twins into helping me look through the records. Unfortunately, we've only got access to the records of sorcerers we've found in the West. Beldin had records of the Mallorean sorcerers, Grolims and non-Grolims both. Would you please search those records for me?"  
  
"Alright Belgarath. I'll get on it after I've laid this stone."  
  
"Thank you Durnik. Oh, and you don't necessarily have to tell Pol about this. There's no point worrying her just yet," I told him mischievously.  
  
"Belgarath! You know I won't lie to her," Durnik responded, shocked. Every now and then I really enjoy tweaking the nose of my son-in-law. I guess I'll never lose that mischievous streak.  
  
"You don't have to. Just tell her nothing."  
  
"Belgarath, she needs to know. I could probably use her help when she's free."  
  
"Very well, Durnik. Tell her what you need to. I'll tell you if I find anything." With that, I left Durnik to return to my research. 


	3. Chapter Two Belgarath

Things continued to progress slowly over the following days. The Twins and I hadn't found anything useful in the records we had of Western sorcerers, and Durnik had had no luck with the Mallorean records either. We'd looked through all the records of each kingdom of the West (and guess where, to my surprise, most of the spontaneous sorcerers we had encountered came from. It seems more Tolnedrans stumbled onto the secret of the Will and the Word than Arends and Alorns put together, with Sendars a fairly close second. It seems that for all their lack of belief in anything the least bit 'supernatural', Tolnedrans are more likely to get annoyed and tell something to do what they want it to than those of other races. Arends and Alorns will take out their anger on the object in question physically, while the Nyissans and Ulgos are just uninterested. In fact, I don't think I've ever met a Nyissan or Ulgo sorcerer. The closest people I've come across are the Salmissras, the Gorims and the Ulgo zealots who have odd abilities. But anyway, I should really get back to the point) and we hadn't found anybody who could possibly have caused the disturbance. In desperation, I sent the Twins to help Durnik with the Mallorean records while I would go and see Urgit and Drosta to get whatever records the Murgos and Nadraks had of their sorcerers, although I didn't hold out much hope of finding anything. Any independent Angarak sorcerers were probably either killed or co-opted by the Grolims, and any that escaped detection are unlikely to be easily found. I wasn't going to bother with the Thulls as they've never kept records and their king would probably drop dead at the sight of me or as soon as he heard I was looking for him. While my reputation amongst Angaraks has been useful at times, it's never yet helped me get information out of a Thull. Actually, though, I might be being a bit harsh on young Gethel. Since his experiences in Mallorea and his acquaintance with Barak, Hettar, and company he's actually become quite brave, for a Thull. He's probably going to be one of the best kings the Thull's have ever had. It was really the lack of records that kept me from planning a visit, and Mishrak Ac Thull has never been one of my favourite places. I was just about to go wolf and head for Yar Nadrak when I saw something that astonished me. Those of you who've been to the Vale will know that while there are many types of bird living there more or less in harmony (which is due mostly, I think, to Pol's influence), there are no ravens. There hasn't been a raven in the Vale for thousands of years since Beldin chased the last one off. Ravens hold painful memories for us. Because of this I was shocked when I saw a raven circle overhead then land gracefully next to the ruins of Belzedar's tower. I soon saw that it was a huge raven. I had only ever seen one raven that size before. It was the favoured form of my apostate brother. Even before the raven had changed shape I was running towards it with murder in my eyes. I reached the raven just as it blurred into a human shape. I ground my teeth together and growled in a dangerous tone of voice "Zedar."  
  
Several things went through my mind when I saw Zedar. First of all, I was in shock. Not only had he got out of his rocky prison, but he looked in much better health than he had for the last few centuries too. Varying emotions warred for supremacy. For a second I wasn't sure whether I'd obey my overwhelming rage at the sight and obliterate Zedar in some awful way, or whether my eternal curiosity would win out and I'd talk to him in a semi- civilised way. In the end, curiosity narrowly won. "How did you get out of the rock, Zedar?" I asked him coldly.  
  
"Rock? Belgarath, what in Aldur's name are you on about?" was the response I got.  
  
Zedar's mention of the Master was almost enough to tip me over the edge. I doubt he knows how fragile his life was at that point. Somehow I remained calm and managed to reply in a very cold manner.  
  
"You know very well what I'm on about, Zedar. How did you escape from the prison I stuffed you into back at Cthol Mishrak?"  
  
"Cthol Mishrak? Prison? Are you losing it Belgarath? I haven't got the slightest clue what you're on about. I just got here from Mallorea and you're treating me like your worst enemy. What is the problem here?"  
  
Zedar appeared honestly confused. If I didn't know better, I might actually have believed him. Instead my anger was rapidly increasing and my tone of voice growing even icier.  
  
"I'm perfectly aware you were in Mallorea. I trapped you in rock there Zedar. Do not pretend you don't know what I'm on about. How did you escape from Cthol Mishrak?"  
  
"Belgarath, what is this about? I've never been to Cthol Mishrak. That's the last place I would want to go. And why do you keep calling me Zedar? You know Aldur added the Bel to all of our names. In the name of our Master, tell me what's going on and what the hell happened to my tower!"  
  
Zedar appeared to be almost as annoyed with me as I was with him, unbelievable as that seemed. He wasn't overacting either. All of this was beginning to make me wonder if Zedar had lost his memory. This didn't calm me when I heard him call Aldur "our Master". I would have killed Zedar there and then if it wasn't for something that astonished me even more than the appearance of Zedar. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large bird flying into view and I realised it was a Melcene eagle owl, a bird that had never been native to anywhere other than the Melcene islands, just before I heard an amused urbane voice that I hadn't heard since before Polgara was born.  
  
"Your tower, old boy? What about my tower? At least there's some left of yours, dear Belzedar. Mine has been completely flattened. So has poor Belsambar's. And Belgarath, I'm forced to agree with Belzedar. What are you talking about, dear chap?"  
  
I nearly fainted. It was impossible. The owner of that voice was dead and had been for thousands of years. But the owl suggested it was him. That always was his favourite form. How could he possibly be here?  
  
"Belmakor?!" I exclaimed in shock. "How can you be here?"  
  
"Belgarath, why wouldn't I be here? Or Belzedar? We've just got here from Mallorea because we felt Belsambar die. We met up over the Sea of the East and travelled the rest of the way together. I need to talk to Beldin, though. Over Eastern Aloria something odd happened. We got blown into some sort of hole in the air, knocked unconscious on the way through and when we came to there were Angaraks in place instead, and there is a big city, although maze is probably a better description, in the plains not far from the Vale. I want Beldin to help me figure out what happened."  
  
I don't know if I could have been more shocked. Here, apparently, were about the two people I least expected to see ever again. About the only thing that would have astonished me more would have been Torak rising from the grave and turning up on my doorstep to apologize for stealing the Orb. If anyone had as much as tapped me at that point I would almost certainly have collapsed. Somehow, I managed to keep the shock out of my voice when I responded to Belmakor. "Belmakor, if that is who you really are, you should not be here. It is not possible for you or Zedar to be here. You've been dead for over three thousand years. Zedar here soon afterwards revealed that he was working for Torak. He became Torak's third disciple when he went to Mallorea with Beldin." I noticed Zedar flinch a little when I said that. Good. Making him feel uncomfortable was something I felt not the slightest bit of remorse about.  
  
The eagle owl shifted to the Belmakor I remembered, immaculately groomed and dressed. That was one of the things that always irritated me about him. He could walk through a huge storm and he would still seem to have not a hair out of place and his clothes would be spotless. "Are you all right, Belgarath? You seem slightly hysterical, old boy. I think I would know if I was dead, don't you? Dieing is the last thing I would do."  
  
If this isn't Belmakor, I thought, whoever he is is a great actor. That restrained sense of humour is exactly like Belmakor. I don't think there's anyone who could pretend that well, even if Zedar spent a hundred years training them.  
  
"Belgarath? Say something. You're beginning to worry me."  
  
"Sorry, Belmakor," I apologised. "I was somewhere else for a moment. I don't have a clue what's happened. About the only thing I can come up with is that somehow you've travelled through time. Beldin mentioned once that the two of you discussed something about time and decided not to mess with it."  
  
"Yes, I suppose that's as likely as anything. I'll accept that as a working hypothesis, at least until we come up with a better one. I suppose you'd better fill me in on what's been going on since Belsambar died."  
  
"I remember when Belsambar died, and you and Belzedar turned up pretty much like you just did. That was thousands of years ago. A lot has changed since then. I got married, you died, I went to Mallorea with a bunch of Alorns and stole back the Orb, ." I gave Belmakor (and Zedar) a brief history of the world since the death of Belsambar. To give him a fuller picture, I gave him a copy of my and Polgara's books after I'd finished. Zedar's eyes glazed over in shock when I got to the very recent past. "Zedar stole the Orb with the aid of a child. I went and picked up Polgara, Garion, Durnik, Silk and Barak and we headed off on our destined quest, picking up allies on the way. To cut a long story short, Garion learnt how to use the Will and the Word, we took back the Orb, crowned Garion king, went to Cthol Mishrak, fought Zedar and Torak, killed Torak and shut Zedar up in an eternal stone prison, brought Durnik back from the dead and went home. A few years later we went off and installed Eriond as the new God of the Angaraks."  
  
"Torak's dead and the Orb has been recovered?" Zedar asked.  
  
I took great pleasure in responding. "Why yes. Sorry to tell you your life has become meaningless, old boy. You should have stayed on our side Zedar."  
  
I think the look in his eyes when I finished telling the story was the moment my revenge upon him was complete. While I doubt I'll ever forgive Zedar, I was now willing to give this Zedar a chance, at least provisionally.  
  
"Much as I appreciate this reminiscing, I think it would be better if we got to work on figuring out what the hell happened." Belmakor cut in. "Belezedar and I appear to be a few thousand years out of our time. I can't really understand how that could be. I especially can't understand how Belzedar can be here. From what you've said, there isn't anything left of me in this time, but Belzedar is entombed in the rock of Cthol Mishrak. That should create a paradox, and there should be no way that would have been allowed to happen, especially since the Purpose of the universe is now back to being on just one path rather than two. I sincerely hope that our arrival here hasn't broken things again. I'd quite like to get a few thousand years of peace in."  
  
Belmakor's musings set me to thinking. Could the arrival of my two brothers have caused another Accident? Or perhaps it was the result of another Accident? To a certain extent, I hoped that was the case, as otherwise we were dealing with two very clever hoaxers, one of which could very easily be my apostate brother, both of whom were very probably heavily involved with the incident. I knew that I needed to go to Riva so that I could talk to Garion and (hopefully) his friend. However, I knew I also needed some help with these two in case they did prove to be the ones responsible for the disorientation we all felt. I sent my thought out to Beldin's tower calling on my newest brother for help. Durnik, I need you. Now!  
  
It wasn't long before my son-in-law came running up to me to see what the problem was. "What is it, Belgarath?" he asked. Half an instant later he recognised one of my companions (though only barely. As I said, he looked in much better health than he did the last time Durnik saw him) and reacted forcefully, picking Zedar up by the front of his shirt and holding him there at arms length. I've seen some amazing feats of strength over the years, but I think that was the most impressive. "What is he doing here, Belgarath?" he asked me.  
  
"To be honest, Durnik, I haven't got a clue. He just showed up here a few minutes ago along with another of our brothers. Durnik, this is Belmakor." I told him as I gestured at the Melcene. "Belmakor, this is the newest disciple of the Master and my son-in-law Durnik."  
  
"Delighted to make your acquaintance, old boy, although I doubt Belzedar feels the same right now. It is most impressive how you've grabbed him."  
  
I think Belmakor was amused at the situation Zedar found himself in. To be quite honest about it, none of the rest of us were overly fond of Belzedar. Something about him set our teeth on edge and after the cracking of the world he became much more distant. We all (except for Beltira, Belkira and Belsambar most of the time) enjoyed taking him down a peg or two and did so every chance we got. This reaction made me more convinced that this was the real Belmakor.  
  
"Belgarath, I don't want to worry you, but isn't Belmakor dead?" Durnik asked.  
  
"And that worries you, Durnik?" I responded amused. "As I recall you were dead too once." Then to put him out of his misery I said "It seems as if these two have somehow travelled about three and a half thousand years into the future." At the same time as this I told him "at least, I think that's who they are. We need to keep an eye on them, though" in the Drasnian secret language which Pol had insisted he learn. She was right all those years ago. It was a most useful skill to learn.  
  
"I see," he responded to both my messages. "So why did you call me down here?"  
  
"The twins are more than capable of searching through the records you were looking at. They've been doing that sort of thing for thousands of years now. We need to go to Riva and talk to Garion. I think you would be more useful with me." I conveyed the rest of the reason I wanted him with me in the secret language. "Also, I need another person to help keep an eye on them. If they try something I'd rather have somebody with me and you are the closest choice."  
  
"All right, Belgarath. So how are we going to get there?"  
  
"I think speed is vital. We're going to have to fly to Riva. I think falcon is the form we need to use."  
  
"Even if we go falcon, it will take a few days to reach Riva."  
  
"I know, Durnik, but I don't see much option. Oh, and could you put Zedar down? I think he and Belmakor should go with us."  
  
Durnik dropped Zedar in a heap. When Zedar had salvaged what little dignity he could from the situation, the four of us headed off to the Isle of the Winds as falcons. After a couple of hours, Durnik sent his thought to me. Belgarath, I just realized that we forgot to tell Pol what we were doing. She'll worry and be very angry with us.  
  
Don't worry, Durnik, I told him. I took care of it.  
  
You did? That's good news.  
  
Oh, yes. I left her a note. 


	4. Prologue Polgara

I'm not sure why I've been roped into writing this. Nobody even begged me this time. I suppose I must have enjoyed writing my history book, so I just automatically agreed to help tell the story of the recent crisis. Perhaps even the Tolnedrans will accept this as the truth. Then again, maybe they won't.  
  
I suppose I should really begin the same way father did, telling you what was going on with our extended 'family'. As father has already said, everybody was doing well. Hettar had actually managed to become quite good friends with Urgit and Prala. Relg and Taiba were well on their way to re- establishing the Marags. Barak was spending a lot of time on that whale of a ship of his. In a sweet gesture, Lelldorin told me that he was planning to make Vo Wacune habitable again, and that Mandorallen, Korodullin and Mayaserena had promised to help him. I think that I felt closer to Lelldorin when he told me that than at any previous time. I saw a lot of Sadi. He came up to my cottage fairly frequently to give me Nyissan concoctions, most of which we hoped could be used medicinally. Cyradis was a bit worried that she and Zakath had no children yet the last time I saw her. She seemed to be worrying that Zakath would set her aside and get a new wife (does that sound familiar, Ce'Nedra?). After I managed to persuade her that there was no chance of that, I set about solving the problem. It won't be long before Mallorea has an heir. I've been to see Silk and Velvet a few times, and they appear well. Married life actually seems to agree with Kheldar. Their baby son, Khonder, does seem to be taking up his parents' occupation early. Somehow, every time I go to see them Yarblek seems to be there too. I doubt its just business. 'Uncle' Yarblek spoils the child rotten, then tries to teach him all about the "good things in life", the drinking, gambling, swindling, etc. I took care that Killane and Ontrose didn't spend too much time with them. The family I've seen most of is Garion and Ce'Nedra. I like to make sure that Ontrose and Killane know their cousins. I feel sorry for Beldarran, though. She sometimes gets left out by the boys and Wolf when they are playing. Garion is planning to build a university on Riva soon, linked to the one Anheg is building in Cherek. I'm not sure which of them came up with the idea, but I think it's good the Alorns are finally worrying about education. In about a century, the universities will probably rival those of Tol Honeth and Melcene. Ce'Nedra fully supports the idea, although I think she's a bit put out that Garion plans to fund it all from the Rivan treasury so that anybody can go to his university.  
  
We should have known our peace couldn't last.  
  
  
  
  
  
Please review what there is so far. I plan to add more when I get the chance. 


	5. Chapte One Polgara

Here's the next part.  
  
The world changed very suddenly. I was cooking in the kitchen and Durnik was out fishing with Killane and Ontrose at the time. Father has stated that the sensation we felt when it happened was very similar to somebody messing with the weather. I would say that it was actually more like the time I set off a volcano. It seemed to be of more immediate earth shattering consequences to me somehow. I later spoke to my uncles about it, and they told me that while it wasn't quite on the same scale as the cracking of the world, but it came a lot closer than anything else in the last few thousand years (I'll leave you to guess which uncle said that. I don't want to spoil all your fun, after all). The disturbance was very shocking to me. It shocked me so much that I actually burned what I was cooking. I am fairly certain that is the first time I've ever burnt something. If there is another time, I've managed to forget it.  
  
Anyway, after I'd disposed of the remains of the burnt food, I created some food just before Durnik and the twins came back. I was a little surprised that they hadn't caught any fish, but then, if the disturbance caused me to burn food why shouldn't it cause Durnik to miss a few fish? Killane and Ontrose seemed most agitated by the disturbance, and it took the two of us quite a while to calm them down. After our children had fallen asleep, Durnik asked me "What was that, Pol?"  
  
"I really have no idea. Whatever it was, it was big. I suspect that father will be spending a few weeks trying to get to the bottom of it, and he might ask us to help him."  
  
My prediction turned out to be quite accurate. Father roped Durnik in when he realized what the scale of the search would be, though he chose not to get me involved. Apparently he felt that I was too busy, so I just helped by looking through things without telling him (or allowing Durnik to tell him) and making sure that Killane and Ontrose kept out of his hair. While he adores them, and they him (what is it with all these young boys liking my father? Does he have some sort of secret? He probably bribes them like he does the Dryads), they would probably have distracted him at the time, or he'd have forgotten they were there. He does that every so often when he's engrossed in something or searching through records. His tower's not particularly neat even with mother having moved back in with him, so it takes him a while to find things other than the beer barrel.  
  
This pattern of searching continued for several days. It was actually fairly relaxing, almost like going back to the old days of searching for clues in the indecipherable Mrin and incomprehensible Darine. I was just starting to enjoy the search (and going around behind father's back to help him) when I saw his note. It was, as is usual for him, short and lacking on details, but what it said made me lose my temper.  
  
Pol  
  
Just borrowed Durnik. Gone off to Riva to see Garion and his friend. We're taking some old friends with us. Back soon. Talk to the twins if you need help.  
  
Belgarath  
  
I soon found myself looking around for anything breakable to throw. About the only thing that restrained me was having Killane and Ontrose nearby. I took them off to see the twins. They like the twins, but then, so does everybody. After the four of them were settled into a conversation, I went to the Tree and gave vent to some of the more colourful parts of Uncle Beldin's vocabulary. Aside from swear words, all that was running through my head was I can't believe he's done it again. I decided that Killane, Ontrose and I would be going to Riva as soon as we could. 


	6. Chapter Three Belgarath

The trip to Riva was pretty uneventful. Neither Belmakor nor Zedar tried to attack us, so all there was to do was fly (which, as you doubtless know, I'm not very good at) and talk. There was no way I was going to talk to Zedar any more than I absolutely had to, so that just left me my son-in-law and Belmakor to talk to. In spite of this, I enjoyed the flight. Most of this was due to the presence of Belmakor. I'd say that other than Beldin, Belmakor was always my favourite brother. It was like old times. While we flew, he would keep me amused with his dry wit while from time to time we would discuss our most recent research projects.  
  
We arrived in Riva a week or so after we left the Vale. Garion was obviously not expecting us to arrive, so I gave him a call. Garion, if you're not too busy I've arrived on your doorstep with a few guests. Would you come and meet us?  
  
Garion's reply was very quick. Of course, grandfather. I'll be down immediately. A few minutes later, Garion was in the courtyard accompanied by Kail and a few others. "Grandfather," he greeted me genially. "What are you doing here? Grandmother said that you were going to be closeted in your tower until she returned."  
  
"Something came up. It has to do with the disturbance I'm sure you felt a couple of weeks ago. I need to find out what the cause of it was, and I need your help to do so."  
  
"I see. Well, why don't you all come inside? It's much warmer and more comfortable in my study than it is out here."  
  
"Excellent idea, old boy. Nice to see that you picked up some civilized habits before your grandfather got a hold of you," Belmakor put in.  
  
Garion looked slightly baffled at this, I don't think he expected anybody to talk about me quite that way, but he ignored it as we traipsed past him, Durnik giving him a quick greeting before going inside. As Zedar passed him, Garion reacted. "That's Zedar," he said in shock. "Grandfather, why have you let him out?"  
  
"I didn't. That's one of the things we need to talk about. I'll fill you in when we get inside. Oh, make sure that he doesn't go near the Orb. I don't trust him just yet, and even if I did he's always been obsessed with the thing."  
  
"Yes. It's probably a good idea to keep him away from it. Kail, would you see to it? Take them to my study by a route that completely avoids the orb. Preferably one that gives grandfather and I time for a little talk before they get there."  
  
"Yes, your Majesty," Kail said as he left to obey his king.  
  
The two of us took a more direct route to Garion's study than the others, so we were there within a few minutes. "Now, grandfather," he said. "Would you mind explaining to me what's going on?"  
  
"To be honest, Garion, I haven't a clue. There was the disturbance a couple of weeks ago. You felt it, right?" I asked. Garion nodded, so I continued. "Anyway I thought that it felt a bit like the time you played around with the weather, although on a larger scale, so I tried to work out who could have done it. It was definitely nobody in the Vale, Beldin wouldn't do it and I was sure that no Grolim or you would have either. I did get the dangers of playing with the weather through to you last time, didn't I?"  
  
"Absolutely, grandfather. There is no way I'd do anything to the weather until I've had at least a century of study."  
  
"That's good. Anyway, I was trying to work out who was responsible, so I roped Durnik and the twins into helping me look through the records of the spontaneous sorcerers that we've encountered over the years in the hope of finding something. None of us found anything, so I was going to pay a call on Urgit and Drosta, hoping that the Grolims had some records that would help. Before I set off, however, I saw Zedar's raven land next to his old tower. I was angry, and I tried to get details of him of how he escaped, but he didn't seem to know what I was on about. I'd probably have killed him if Belmakor hadn't showed up."  
  
"Belmakor? Isn't he dead?" Garion asked.  
  
"Well, he should be," I replied. "But you saw him in the courtyard, and he seems to have the personality of the real Belmakor. Either he's the real thing and he and Zedar are here from over three thousand years ago, or Zedar has become a better actor and he's got the world's best actor who also happens to be a sorcerer to help him. That's the main reason I'm here. I'd like to see if you can get in touch with your friend and whether he can provide us with some answers."  
  
"All right, grandfather. I'll see what I can do."  
  
Within a few moments, Garion spoke again. Now, however, his voice carried the overtones of the Necessity. "What do you want, Belgarath?" it asked me.  
  
"You know about the disturbance a few weeks ago, right?"  
  
"Of course I know. Let me guess, you want to know what caused it."  
  
"Yes. I also want to know if the Zedar and Belmakor that showed up in the Vale are the real thing. They claim they are from the past."  
  
"I see. Well, they weren't brought here by my design. But then, I didn't plan the disturbance either"  
  
"There's been another Accident then? Is there more than one of you again?"  
  
"No, Belgarath. I'm still the only Necessity. And it wasn't exactly an accident. You know that even before the world was created UL had bound the King of Hell. The King of Hell has never liked being bound, so every once in a while he tries to break his bonds. This disturbance was the result of his most recent attempt. He was pretty close to escaping this time, actually. That's why you could feel the aftershock of his escape attempt when you didn't know about the previous ones."  
  
"So could my brothers actually have travelled through time?"  
  
"Possibly. What exactly did they tell you?"  
  
I repeated what Belmakor had told me and added some opinions of my own. "Well, Belgarath, I can't tell you for certain yet. I need to actually see them before I am sure. However, it can't be a coincidence that the time they claim to have come from is exactly when the King of Hell last tried to escape." With that, the Necessity was gone and Garion was back. "What do you make of it, grandfather?" he asked me.  
  
"I'm worried, Garion. This is something I've never experienced before. Mad gods and Grolim plots, I'm used to, but I have no idea how to deal with the King of Hell and time travellers. Whatever is going on, I'm afraid it means my vacation's over and I'm going to have to get back to work."  
  
Little did I realise how prophetic my words would be.  
  
  
  
That's all for now. I'll add more when it's written. 


	7. Chapter Four Belgarath

Here's the next part. I took a while to get it finished because I had things I needed to do. I'm not entirely happy with this part, so I might well change it later.  
  
  
  
Our first week on Riva was very interesting. Belmakor and Zedar were very curious about the place, as they had never been to the Isle of the Winds when it was inhabited. We still did our best to keep them away from Orb, as we still didn't entirely trust them. Probably the least trusting person in the castle was my wife. Of course, she was especially distrustful of Zedar. "One wonders why you are willing to trust him," she said.  
  
"One is not," I replied. "He has not and probably will not ever earn one's trust again. But he has not done anything yet to make one distrust him."  
  
"One still thinks it is unwise to allow him such free reign. The last time he was free he caused chaos."  
  
"Perhaps this is not the same him as it was the last time we saw him."  
  
"One does not accept that. One has never liked him. He will betray us."  
  
"Perhaps. One will watch him closely. But until he does something contrary to our interests, one must accept him. Without him, we might never get to the bottom of this."  
  
"Very well. But if he betrays us, one will kill him oneself."  
  
"One expected nothing else."  
  
Somewhat surprisingly, Durnik and Garion got on fairly well with Zedar. They were happy to show him all that the Isle has to offer. I can just about understand why Garion could accept Zedar - Garion knows only two well what it's like to have your mind twisted against your will, and I am fairly certain that that was what happened to Zedar. I still can't really fathom why Durnik would be willing to be with Zedar. I think I would be far more bitter towards the man who killed me. I suppose in part it is due to his nature. Durnik has always been far more accepting and forgiving than just about anybody I've ever known. It's one of the qualities that makes him such a good man and a good match for Pol. I think the rest of it is because he felt it was his duty to make sure Zedar didn't do anything harmful and that if he did he would not survive it.  
  
"He seems really lost, grandfather," Garion told me after one of their expeditions into the city. "It's as if his reason for being no longer exists."  
  
"That's quite possible, Garion. Torak is dead. The Orb's back in our hands. His plan is no longer necessary and he can no longer feel the presence of his master. He is probably empty."  
  
"It's really sad. I can understand now why Eriond always said he pitied him. I'm glad most of the world doesn't know he's here. If they did, I don't know what we might have to do."  
  
"Yes. Right now Zedar is to be pitied. If he really is from the past, that's even more the case. He won't even have the time he's in as something to cling to."  
  
"Why has it affected Belmakor so much less?"  
  
"Are you sure it has?"  
  
"Well, Belmakor seems so much more irreverent. He seems to be having too much fun to be feeling out of place."  
  
"That's the way Belmakor always was. If this is the real Belmakor, something I'm still not entirely convinced of, if he is really serious things are really bad. With Belmakor, it's almost impossible to tell how sad he really is. His depression before he died was so out of character that it worried us, but it seems it disguised doubts as severe as those Belsambar had. We need to keep an eye on the two of them. If we don't we could suddenly find the situation spinning out of control."  
  
We continued to make sure Belmakor and Zedar were not left alone more than necessary. In part this was so they didn't hurt themselves and in part so they couldn't plan anything. We had been doing this for almost a week when Garion informed me 'Grandfather, I've been told we should take Zedar to see the Orb when we come back from town. Could you make sure Belmakor is there too?'  
  
'I'll see what I can do,' I responded. 'We'll be in the library until then.'  
  
Belmakor and I spent the next few hours hour pouring over the books in Garion's library. We were trying to find out more about the King of Hell. "Damn it Belgarath," he said in frustration at our fruitless search. "There's nothing about demons here, let alone about their king."  
  
"We have to keep looking. We need to know what we're up against."  
  
"You're the expert in demons Belgarath, not me. I don't have a clue what to look for."  
  
"You've never been this impatient in the past. Or this irritable. What's the problem?" I asked him.  
  
"I feel out of place here. I've missed three thousand odd years of history and I don't even have my tower here to make me feel at home. And to top it all off, I'm not entirely trusted."  
  
"What gave you that idea?"  
  
"Belgarath, I'm not an idiot. Amongst other things, there are parts of the castle that are off limits to Belzedar and me. The most noticeable is the place the Orb is kept. Also, your wife isn't fully able to keep her distrust off her face."  
  
"Í see. Is there anything that would make you feel better?"  
  
"Not really, old boy. I just needed to let off some steam and you were the nearest target. Sorry about that. Let's get back to work, shall we?"  
  
That's Belmakor for you. He always was quick to get over his anger. He just couldn't hold a grudge. "Not right now," I told him. "Right now we need to go to the Hall of the Rivan King. It's time for you and Zedar to be reintroduced to the Orb."  
  
The two of us made our way to the Hall. When we arrived, I half expected the Orb to respond to our presence, but it stayed a cold blue. "Hard to believe all the trouble there's been about that lump of rock isn't it?" Belmakor said.  
  
"Yes," I replied simply.  
  
At that moment, Garion, Durnik and Zedar entered the room. This time the Orb reacted. The instant Zedar entered the room it flared up as if in the presence of an old friend. "It seems you have an answer to your question, Belgarath," the Necessity said through Garion. "The Orb knows the man who loved it more than any other, the one who would risk and lose his soul to try and save it. Belzedar and Belmakor have returned to the world three thousand years after they left it. Try not to let them go this time, Ancient and Beloved."  
  
With that typical last comment, the Necessity left us at least as confused as when we had begun this journey. My two brothers were back. What did this mean for the world?  
  
  
  
Well, that's the end of this part. What do you think? I'll probably have the next chapter (this one from Polgara's point of view) up fairly soon. In case you're wondering, Belgarath and Polgara are not going to be the only viewpoint characters. It was just easiest for me to start with them. Other characters will be used later - especially Belmakor. I have plans for him. 


	8. Chapter Two Polgara

Okay, here's the next Polgara chapter. I was hoping to have this done ages ago (and that there would be a bit more of it), but I hit a block.  
It didn't take me that long to get all of our affairs in the Vale in order. Within about a day I had almost everything ready (including a few things that the twins wanted me to take to my recalcitrant father) and I told my children "Pack your things, we're going to take a short trip to Riva."  
  
Killane, who is the more assertive of my twins, chose to respond. "Really mother? That's great. We haven't seen Geran in ages. Come on, Ontrose. We've got to get ready." And with that, they set off to prepare for the journey.  
  
Within an hour, they were ready and we had set off. While my twins are quite capable of riding, I didn't really want them to ride all the way to Riva so we ended up driving a rickety old cart that I had happened to find around the Vale one day. Isn't that a coincidence?  
  
We had been on the road for a few days when coincidence reared its head yet again. We were of course going through Algaria (there was no way I was going to go through Ulgoland, even if it is less dangerous than normal and I did not want to try going through the Tolnedran mountains during winter) and when we had gotten a few leagues from the Stronghold, by coincidence Hettar and several of his children happened to chance across us. While I'm certain that he had no plans of his own, I am equally certain that somebody was tampering with things (and I have a pretty good idea who it was too. If Garion's friend ever decides to take up residence in my head I think I'll have a word or two with him about that habit of his). "Polgara," Hettar called out when he caught sight of us. "What brings you and your lovely children this way? I was planning to come visit you fairly soon."  
  
"We're going to see Geran, uncle Hettar." Killane said.  
  
"Are you? Well, I was just about to head over to Riva myself. It's just about time for the next meeting of the Alorn Council and my father wants me to represent Algaria this time. Would you like some company?"  
  
"We don't need an escort, Hettar."  
  
"Of course you don't. If there's any trouble out there, I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle. But surely it wouldn't do any harm if Algar, Islena and I went with you."  
  
"Tag along if you must. We'll probably slow you down though."  
  
"Torin, would you ride home with Sholana and tell your mother that we are going to Riva now? Tell her that she can come along with the rest of you if she wants. We shouldn't be that hard to find."  
  
"Very well, father." With that, two of Hettar's children rode off.  
  
"What brought you out this way, Hettar?" I asked him after we had set up camp for the night.  
  
"I've heard some disturbing rumours recently. There are reports of fires being set and horses stolen. Indisputably several cows have vanished. If I didn't know better, I'd say that the Murgos are raiding again."  
  
"But you do know better?"  
  
"Yes. Urgit's got the border Murgos thoroughly in hand. Zakath had them pretty much cowed before he pulled out, and Urgit's carried on where he left off. Surprisingly, some of them are pretty decent sorts. We've even allowed a few to come and live peacefully in Algaria. They seem to be taking to the nomadic life well."  
  
"Did you find any clues as to who's responsible?"  
  
"No. Whoever it is, they seem to have vanished into thin air."  
  
"Uncle Hettar," Ontrose put in unexpectedly, "could it be a man with a splotchy face and a lot of men in fur?"  
  
"Ontrose? What do you mean?" I asked him.  
  
"I had a dream a few nights ago. There was a man with a splotchy face talking to several men in fur. He said a lot, but I couldn't make it out. Afterwards, the fur wearers went out and came back with lots of meat. It felt . odd I suppose."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ontrose. I'm sure it's nothing," I said.  
  
"Yes," Hettar agreed. "I haven't come across any evidence of fur clad men."  
  
"Time for you to go to bed."  
  
"Okay. Night mother. Night uncle Hettar."  
Well, that's the end of this chapter. I have no clue when the next part will be done as I still haven't got over the block and there are other things I need to do. 


	9. Chapter One Silk

Here are the next couple of chapters of my story. I'm reasonably happy with the Silk one, but I'm not too sure about the Polgara one. If I think of a way to improve it, it might change. Sorry about the long delay. I have had a lot of work I had to do and, while I had the two chapters roughly planned, they both needed a bit of rewriting. I hope the next update won't be quite this long.  
  
I have absolutely no idea why I am doing this. I suppose that it probably has something to do with Belgarath and that damned Melcene brother of his. They convinced me that the whole story needs to be told, not just the parts that the Tolnedran and Melcene scholars have recorded. Oh, eventually I'm sure that they would learn everything (although the Tolnedrans would certainly ignore most of the more "fantastic" parts), but I've been convinced that certain people need to know right now. So, against my better judgement, I'm going to record my role in the recent crisis.  
  
Things started normally. Unlike my sorcerous friends, I had no idea the world had suddenly changed. Liselle and I had quite happily settled down into a semi-retired state as soon as she became too pregnant to carry on. I had already began to leave more of our business decisions up to Yarblek from the instant we got married, but the business continued to prosper anyway so we were able to live very comfortably. The two of us were having as much fun as we could raising Khonder and every month or two Yarblek would pay us a visit. Young Khonder gets on very well with his Nadrak uncle. The two are always sneaking off into corners and hiding from us. They are very good at it too.  
  
As I said, I initially had no idea that there was a crisis on the horizon. That all changed when Javelin decided to pay me a visit.  
  
This was not the first time Javelin had called on us, you understand. He tended to come by about once a month to keep the two of us informed about what was going on in the world. Oh, he wanted to see his grand-nephew too, of course, but I think he had plans that one of us would take over Drasnian intelligence after he eventually retired. This visit was different to the previous ones. The old man seemed to be agitated, for one thing. This was the first time I had ever seen Javelin agitated. Also, Liselle and Khonder were out visiting Kheva, so he did not want them to know about it. "What do you want, Javelin?" I asked him.  
  
"I came to see you, Silk. I have a bit of a problem on my hands."  
  
"So go and see somebody else about it. Hunter, maybe. I'm retired."  
  
"Do we really need to go through this again? We really need you, and I suspect that you're starting to get a little bored sitting around doing nothing."  
  
I knew by now that whatever it was that Javelin wanted me to do, I shouldn't do it. It was bound to be dangerous, and I did not want to leave Khonder without a father and Liselle without a husband. I couldn't stop myself being curious, however, so with my nose twitching I asked him "What do you want me to do this time?"  
  
"It's about the Bear-cult again."  
  
"I thought we'd pretty much exterminated them at Rheon and Jarviksholm."  
  
"We did, the Cherek and Drasnian cultists anyway. What I'm worried about now are the Algar cultists."  
  
"Javelin, most Algars don't stay still long enough to form groups. How can the Algar cultists be a problem?"  
  
"I thought the way you did until a few months ago. Until then, there seemed to be no problem. One of my agents inside Algaria reported that the Algar cultists were gathering somewhere. That was the last report he made. At the same time I stopped hearing from your cousin, Khaldon. Khaldon didn't report anything suspicious, but other assets in Tolnedra have told me that several Algars have been seen in Tol Vordue. I was worried about Khaldon, so I sent Hunter to find out what he could. Hunter never reported back to me."  
  
"That does seem fairly serious, but why have you come to me?"  
  
"I've still got some agents in Tolnedra, and they report that the Algars are still going in and out of Tol Vordue. Your cousin has reportedly been seen there."  
  
"Javelin, I may not like my cousin, but he's no Bear-cultist. Nor is he a traitor."  
  
"Normally, I'd agree with you, but all of the agents we've lost contact with were known to him. It's too much of a coincidence, and I hate coincidences. I want you to go to Tol Vordue and find out what's going on."  
  
"I'd really love to help you," I said with a trace of real regret in my voice, "but I'm a bit tied up with my family right now. Why don't you come back in a couple of years time when I might be available?"  
  
"Silk, there's something else you should know. Hunter is your old friend Kheran."  
  
I was totally amazed. I'd never have thought of Kheran as Hunter. Javelin was right, though. I couldn't just leave Kheran in trouble. When I'd had to escape Bethra and when the Murgos were hot on my trail Kheran had pretty much saved my life. I owed him too much not to go to his aid now. Javelin had me well and truly hooked. "When do you need me in Tol Vordue?" I asked. 


	10. Chapter Three Polgara

Within about a month of joining up with Hettar, we had arrived at Camaar. Our journey was far from uneventful, however. We continuously felt as if we were being watched, but however hard we tried we could never even catch a glimpse of anybody. At one time, my sons and I became very uncomfortable as we settled down for the night, but there was no apparent reason for our unease.  
  
Eventually, as we neared the Algarian/Sendarian border some of our watchers showed themselves. A small group of Algars launched an attack upon us. Hettar and his children immediately rode to meet them and a ferocious combat began. While the fight raged, a new group came from behind us. Their intent quickly became obvious - they were trying to kill Killane and Ontrose. They fired several volleys of arrows at my sons. I was absolutely incensed by their actions. I quickly summoned my will and the incoming arrows burst into flame. I made sure that no arrows would harm us, so the assassins drew swords and tried to get closer to us. As they did so, I summoned my will again and directed it at them, then I released it by shouting "Burn". Instantly they burst into flames and within minutes all that was left of them was a pile of ashes.  
  
Within moments, the few ambushers that survived had turned and ran, but I was in no mood to allow them to get away. 'How dare they try to kill my sons?' I thought. My anger meant that I completely lost control of my reaction, and I regret to say that in attempting to stop their escape I went too far, killing both them and their horses. I can't really describe exactly what happened, but essentially I caused a very localised, highly intense earthquake which I didn't stop until the ground was completely broken up and our Algar attackers had been literally shaken to death.  
  
Hettar rode up to me, but he after a brief glance he realised that speaking to me while I was in this sort of mood was not a good idea, so we travelled on in an uncomfortable silence. That night, after I had calmed down and we had set up camp Hettar quietly took me aside and asked "Did you have to do that Polgara? Those horses were in great pain when they died and it might have been better if we had somebody to question."  
  
"I'm sorry, Hettar," I replied. "I shouldn't have done that to the horses. And you might be right that it would have been better to question them, but I completely lost my temper. I had to protect my sons."  
  
"I understand that, but I still think you went too far."  
  
"You're right. I did go too far, and I probably will the next time somebody tries to kill my children too. I will not permit anyone to harm them."  
  
"Polgara, I understand your need to protect your children, but you can't afford to completely lose it like that. It's possible that if you'd been a bit more restrained we could have found out who wanted to kill your children. I had a look at their bodies before we left, but I could only get a few clues about who our attackers were."  
  
Contritely (and yes father, I know that's a bit of a rareity) I responded "What did you manage to find?"  
  
"Well, their horses came from Aldurford, I'm absolutely certain of that. And from their style of riding and fighting I'm reasonably sure that they came from near one of the Sendarian border clans rather than anywhere else. Have you done something to offend any of them recently?"  
  
I searched my mind for any reason the Sendarian border clans would have had, but I couldn't come up with anything. I had always got on well with them. One particular clan has come to regard me as part of the extended family. "No," I replied.  
  
"Then I'm at a loss as to why they attacked. The Sendarian clans have always been amongst the most peaceful in Algaria. If they were from Adara's clan I suppose it might have been something personal, but I am absolutely certain they weren't as I know most of her clan by sight and I didn't recognise any of our attackers. Our attackers carried nothing that identified them. It's almost like they were assassins, but I've never met a Sendarian clansman who would kill for pay."  
  
"Thank you for that, Hettar. I really should have looked at them myself, but I just wasn't thinking clearly. And thank you for defending my children. Thank Algar and Islena for me too."  
  
"There's no need to mention it. It was the right thing to do. Besides, It's been a while since I had a good fight anyway." Smiling to indicate that he was joking, Hettar left me to think about what had happened that day.  
  
After the ambush, our journey was very uneventful. I wasn't complaining as it gave me another chance to enjoy travelling through what had once been my duchy. Eventually we arrived in Camaar where surprisingly we ran into another coincidence (I'm really going to have to have words with Garions friend. It's all very well to manipulate things, but does he have to be quite so blatant about it?). The very first inn we found contained an old acquaintance (some of my family would say friend, but I won't go quite that far).  
  
"Hettar," the already half-drunk Captain Greldik called out as soon as he saw us. "Come and join me. Getting drunk on my own is fun, but it's better when I've got some company."  
  
"I'm not that much of a drinker, Greldik," Hettar replied. "You know that."  
  
"True, but I'm sure that will change eventually. Oh, where are my manners?" he asked with a belch. "Lady Polgara, how delightful it is to see you and your lovely children again."  
  
"I wish I could say the same. You are already drunk, Greldik."  
  
"True. It's the only way to be when you're on the shore. The sea's the place to be."  
  
"Then perhaps you'll be interested in a little job. How would you like to transport us to Riva?"  
  
"That sounds like a good idea. It's been a long time since I went there. When do you want to leave?"  
  
"Tomorrow, I think. We'll all want to have a bath tonight."  
  
"Then tomorrow I'll see you at the docks. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to the business of getting drunk."  
  
To my surprise, Greldik was waiting for us in a partially sober condition. It seems that he had only drunk a tankard or two of ale that morning. Greldik, for all his faults, is probably the best seaman alive, so we made very good time to Riva. I decided not to inform anybody on the island that I was coming. I was still very annoyed with my father and only slightly less so with my husband, so I didn't want them to be too prepared for my arrival. In spite of this, Garion was waiting for us when we arrived. "Aunt Pol, what brings you here?" Garion asked.  
  
"What do you think? I'm here because my father decided it would be a good idea to leave me a note telling him he'd come here."  
  
"I see. Well, now I understand why grandfather didn't want to be here when grandmother told him you would be arriving soon. Durnik would have been here, but we didn't expect you to get here quite this soon so he is looking around the city to try and find you some more apology gifts. If you would all follow me, I'll take you to see everyone."  
  
Hettar, his children, Ontrose, Killane and I followed Garion to his study where everybody had been gathered. I was about to give my father a piece of my mind when I saw to my shock somebody who could almost have been his twin seated nearby. It took me a few moments to realise who he was, but when I did I almost exploded. "What's he doing here?" I asked indignantly.  
  
Well, that's the end of this update. In case you couldn't tell, Polgara was referring to Zedar. Tell me what you think.  
  
The next chapter will probably be from Belgarath's point of view, but I might throw in another Silk chapter first. I can't say when it will be finished, but I hope it will be in the next month or so. 


End file.
